What is Type-C USB and what are its benefits?

The new Type-C USB port found on the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and OnePlus 2 will soon become the norm, but what is Type-C and what are the advantages?

The new Type-C USB plug isn’t just slimmer than the old USB design, it’s also at long last reversible, just like Apple’s Lightning connector, so there’s no ‘right way up’ any more. Gone are the days of trying desperately to jam the head into your phone’s charging port, only to discover the cable is the wrong way around.

The new Type-C USB also supports up to 100w power delivery and is capable of up to 10Gbps transfer speeds, so your phone should charge faster and also copying data and files to and from your phone should be considerably quicker.

Sadly this new USB won’t be compatible with the existing USB Type-B (Type-C works with a 8.4mm by 2.6mmm connector), so there will be a point where you have to use readily-available converters to allow you to connect a Type-C device into a Type-A and Type-B port.

So far only the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P handets from Google, as well as the OnePlus 2, support Type-C USB. However, we’re expecting most of the big phones in 2016 such as the Samsung Galaxy S7, to support Type-C and for it to be the standard port by the end of the year.